WASL’s replacements debut in March, April and May

Next spring, students across the state will embark on a new state standardized testing journey, leaving the WASL far behind. Under the Washington Comprehensive Assessment Program, the state will test students in order to determine their proficiency, as well as to assess progress. High school students will be required to take and pass the High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE), which will be administered in March and April. Students in grades three through eight will take the Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) exam in May of 2010. The test will measure student progress, while the high school version will test a student’s proficiency on basic skills, such as reading, writing, math and science.

By Reporter Staff • September 8, 2009 5:46 pm

Next spring, students across the state will embark on a new state standardized testing journey, leaving the WASL far behind.

Under the Washington Comprehensive Assessment Program, the state will test students in order to determine their proficiency, as well as to assess progress. High school students will be required to take and pass the High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE), which will be administered in March and April. Students in grades three through eight will take the Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) exam in May of 2010. The test will measure student progress, while the high school version will test a student’s proficiency on basic skills, such as reading, writing, math and science.

Both will be shorter tests than the WASL, and over the next several years, the state plans to move the tests to an online format.

The first online tests will be in reading and math for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders next spring, while the HSPE reading, math and writing tests will move to a completely online format in 2012. By that same year, 50 percent of high school students will be taking the HSPE science test online. Students in the class of 2013 will be required to pass all sections of the test to graduate from high school.

The spring’s MSP test for students will be given between May 12-28 as paper and pencil tests and from May 3 through June 4 as online versions. The online testing was given a larger time frame to ensure that schools had enough time to rotate students through the computer stations.

For more, visit www.k12.wa.us/Resources or www.WAtesting.com.